Hunted
by WhiteIce
Summary: Wendy Watson wasn't the Middleman's first assistant. The first one was named Rick, and he has a bit of a problem with being replaced...
1. Chapter 1: Trailer

**I don't own the Middleman. More author's note on the bottom. Please read it, thank you.**

* * *

**Shows Wendy coming home, looking around.**

"Hello…Lacey?"

**A man appears in front of her.**

"Welcome home."

**Everything goes dark. Then you hear Wendy's voice.**

"I…I think there's something wrong with me."

**Wendy kneels down.**

"Why…when I get mad…"

**She looks up, and her mouth grows fangs.**

"Or scared…"

**Her hands grow claws.**

"Something comes out…"

**Fur begins to grow over Wendy.**

"Something that nobody should see."

**A man's voice.**

"Now we're even."

**Wendy sees a man watching her.**

"We're both cursed. But don't worry…"

**Shows Wendy racing down a deserted street. She stops, obviously in awe.**

"Being a werewolf can be fun."

**Wendy talking to Ida.**

"Did you ever hear of someone named Rick?"

"Yeah, nut-job assistant that got fired. Always said he was going to come back someday."

**Rick stalking a hiding Wendy, shouting to her.**

"Don't you know your boss has a bit of an problem with werewolves? Why do you think he got rid of me? Eliminate him before he does the same to you.

**Rick finds Wendy, pushes her against the wall.**

"You've got to make a choice, and no one else is going to make it for you. The losing side…"

**Wendy watches the Middleman and Ida.**

"Or the winning side."

**Rick throws a car at Wendy.**

"You can't deny what you've become."

**Wendy jumps out a window, and a brown wolf lands on the street.**

"You can only try and use it."

**Shows a wolf at the Middleman's throat.**

"Make your choice."

**Two wolfs stare at the Middleman, then one lunges forward.**

* * *

**Okay, first of all, let it be said that this is the first Middleman story on this site! Sorry, had to have my moment there. **

**Second, I hoped you guys really liked this. I was thinking of adding in a bit of Middleman/Wendy romance, but if you don't want me to do that, then I won't. **

**Third, would you guys please put up some Middleman stories. I can't find anything on here. **

**Thank you for reading, and I hope to have the first chapter up in a couple of days. The plot's laid out, and I've been writing bits and pieces of the story.**


	2. Chapter 2: The First Dream

**Sadly, I don't own the Middleman. I don't even own the nifty ray gun that the Middleman has. I also don't own any song or song lyrics in this story, and the people that were involved with them are not involved in this story.**

**This disclaimer goes for the whole rest of this story so my author's notes don't have to be so looong.**

**However, before I start with the chapter, I want to respond to some reviews. I'll probably be doing this every chapter. This is my way to say thanks for reviewing! **

**Nicole****- My first reviewer! Thanks for responding on whether or not you want Wendy/MM romance. I was worried no one was going to read the author's note…**

**Musicnotes093****- Your confidence in my story is wonderful! Thank you too for responding on the romance topic! I would love to read your story when you get it up (especially if it has MM/Wendy romance). And I haven't had any trouble figuring out how to post my stories. Sorry for not being more help. I hope you get yours up soon! **

**One final thing before the chapter comes up and looks ridiculously short compared to this ridiculously long author's note. Thanks to the reviews for the first chapter, I am going to be going with MM/Wendy romance! Now on with the chapter! **

"Hey Wendy Watson."

"Hey Noser."

"What do I need?"

"Love? Time? Something to give? A sign?"

"Yeah, a sign…"

He grinned at Wendy as she trudged towards her apartment, wearily pulling out her keys.

Wendy wondered if James Bond ever had days like this. Days were you didn't want to save the world, but just wanted to curl up at home, (not in his usual tux, but in sweats,) and just kick back and watch the biography on Monet or something. Then again, James Bond handled cool, evil masterminds that only wanted to get rich or destroy the world. Goldfinger never wanted to turn the world into half eagle/half human hybrids just to get people to appreciate animal wildlife. It sounded like something Lacey's evil twin would do. Speaking of Lacey…

She flipped on the light switch in her apartment, looking around for her roommate. But to her surprise, the apartment was…empty.

"Lace?" Wendy called out, looking around. "Lacey?"

She was gone. Wendy grinned with relief. A hot shower to remove all the eagle feathers in her hair, a pint of Rocky Road ice cream and some alone time were all she really wanted right now. Along with some free therapy sessions to get rid of the fact that she would now twitch whenever she saw a bald eagle. But you couldn't get everything you wanted.

She took a step into the apartment, and heard a rushing sound, like wind. Weird. Maybe she just had one too many feathers stuck in her ears right now. Dropping her keys and bag on the floor, she grabbed the ice cream out of the fridge and sunk into her couch. Hellooooo therapy.

As she spooned the ice cream into her mouth, she felt that weird, creepy feeling that everyone always gets when someone's watching them. Like you can almost feel their eyes on you.

'It's probably just the stress from today.' She reassured herself. Looking down, she patted the watch the Middleman had given her. If anybody tried anything, they would find themselves at the mercy of her gun toting boss with just a click of a button.

She heard the wind again. This time it came rushing by her and she heard the door slam shut behind her. As she turned around to see what was going on, she felt the wind come at her, grab her around the waist, and then slam her into the ground. It was so fast that Wendy barely saw anything, only the room speeding by as the wind moved her and the pain that came when her head slammed into the floor. The last thing she saw was a pair of blue eyes looking into hers before everything went black.

* * *

"Wendy? Wendy? Can you hear me?" Wendy woke to someone slapping her cheek. Above her, Lacey's head swam. But even in her dazed state, she could see Lacey's drawn eyebrows and concerned eyes.

"Chill, Lace, I'm fine." Her voice came out in a rough mumble.

"Wendy, what's going on? I just came home and you're passed out on the floor, covered in paint." Lacey's face crinkled in suspicion. "Did you throw a keg party without me?"

"What? Lacey…" She wasn't in the mood for this. She must have been really out… Falling onto the floor asleep. But she wasn't _that _tired when she came home, and her muscles didn't ache like they did now…

"'Cause you promised during our second year of art school…"

Wendy got up, ignoring her friend, and almost crawled up to her room, where she collapsed onto her bed, passing out once again, not even noticing that the red paint staining her clothes wasn't paint at all…

* * *

_A pair of blue eyes reached down to her, where she lay on the floor, bound by ropes. The gag on her mouth prevented her from saying anything, but her eyes showed the fear and defiance that she felt. _

"_What to do…What to do…" The blue eyes murmured, in an almost song-like chant. "What to start with, what to start with…" _

_Wendy felt her chest tighten in anticipation..._

_And a pair of white hands flew out and grabbed her legs, bound together. She tried to wiggle them out of blue eyes' grasp but he simply tightened his hold, and then pushed them up with a tremendous crack. The knees were pushed up, past the their breaking point, so that they were turned up and her feet were near her chest. _

_Wendy screamed past her gag, feeling the searing hot pain slam into her, making her vision swim and her stomach turn. _

"_I don't like to start with something as big as legs, actually, I was going to save that for the grand finale. But then I thought, what if you somehow manage to run out on me? You can try to run now if you want to." He stood out of the way, gesturing towards the door. "Go on." Then, he gave a low chuckle, making Wendy open her eyes and look up at him. Her vision was still blurry, but she could faintly make out his pale, icy blue eyes. But then he interrupted her observations, crouching down and peering into her face, his rancid breath on her nose, burning her skin. _

"_Now, are you ready to tell me what you know?" Wendy shook her head. He couldn't just expect to break into her apartment, tie her up, and then get what he wanted…She wasn't going to let him win. She couldn't._

_He grinned. "I'm glad, you know. This is going to be fun. You're much more resilient than I thought. Now, what next…" And he reached down for her ankles, and Wendy heard a snap, felt the pain begin to slam into her again, past her ankles and into her already heat filled legs, and she screamed beyond her gag…_

"WENDY! DUB DUB WAKE UP!" She reared up, her body trembling. Lacey had one arm on her shoulder, one holding a half empty pitcher of water. Wendy felt her chest and face covered in water, mixing with the sweat and tears that were currently coming. She hurriedly used the covers to wipe her face, then she looked up at a shaken Lacey.

"Lace… What's wrong?" Her voice was still rough, but now it sounded hoarse, too.

"You…You were screaming…and shaking…And I shouted at you, but you wouldn't stop… I was getting worried. I got in your face and everything." She gestured towards the pitcher of water in her hand. "This was the last thing I could think of."

"I'm sorry Lacey." She reached up to rub her face, only to find her arm stiff and sore. "Was I that loud?"

"Woke me up. Dub Dub, is everything all right?" Wendy looked at Lacey, her face screwed up in concern.

"Yeah…Everything's fine. Just a nightmare." She flopped back down in bed, pulling the sheets over her head. "Just a nightmare." She repeated, for her own sake of mind as well as Lacey's.

"Ok then… Are you sure you don't need anything?" She heard Lacey retreat to her doorway, still unwilling to leave her.

"I'm fine Lace." She heard footsteps getting fainter and fainter as they went down the stairs, and breathed a bit more easily. But she could tell that she hadn't convinced her friend.

Or herself, either.

**Whoo Hoo! First chapter! I personally wished I could have made it longer, but it seemed like the right place to stop. **

**P.S. I would really love it if you guys would review. I know that this is a new show, but at least a few reviews would really help, to let me know that people are interested in this story. And again, please put up Middleman stories! Thank you for reading! See you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Nightmare Begins

**MAJOR ALART: The Middleman is in danger of being canceled! If anyone has any ideas on what to do, then you can post them in your reviews for me and everyone else to see. Also, just so you don't think I'm making up a rumor, then go to Livejournal, type in Middleman, and click on the site that says "middlefan." You'll see the links to the proof. Also, in the comments for the links someone has posted up the address of where to reach the president of ABC Family, in case anyone's thinking about sending any letters.**

**And finally, I don't own Livejournal, and I am not trying to advertise Livejournal. Thank you.**

**Now, on with the reviews. Oh, and in case anyone submitted two reviews since I last updated my story, they will be combined into one response from me, to make things easier. Thank you.**

**Nicole - I'm glad that you decided to review my stories and like the fact that I chose to respond to my readers. I hope to live up to your expectations for this story. By the way, musicnotes093 hasn't put out her story yet. Sorry, but if I see it I'll let you know. **

**WildCroconaw – I'm hoping to pump up a bit of the Wendy/Middleman in this story. It hasn't happened much yet, but it will. My favorite part of writing this story is those scenes (don't worry, they're not too gushy.) And comparing my work to that of the writers' of the TV series is a big honor.**

**Rdneckgirl25 – I'm glad you like the story, and keep watching for some MM/Wendy!**

**Shego129 – Yes, I was so irritated at the fact that nobody seemed to be putting up any stories for this show, so I finally said, "What the heck?" and did it myself. And thank you for taking the time to read my other stories. Is that how you found out about this one?**

**Elfhobbit01 – Everybody's looking forward to the MM/Wendy romance! Jeez, I hope I don't screw up or I'll have everybody after me! **

**Streak13 – Yeah, I'm addicted to "The Middleman" myself. I watched the pilot and that was all it took. I've watched every episode since.**

**Musicnotes093 – Good luck with your story and thanks for all your support for mine! I can't believe that my story is actually getting all these reviews (I didn't know this many people were so into the Middleman.)**

**Neo-Kira – I would love to see your stories! I've been dying for some Middleman fanfiction, and send whatever stories you want my way! Soon please! And sorry for taking your place as the first Middleman fanfic writer! P.S. I love the world "Dubman". I'll be using that later on.**

**Keshia – Yeah, I would love for "The Middleman" to have it's own section. But how do you get one of those? Does anyone really know or do that just pop up like magic? Anyway, thanks for that wonderful review, but the hardest part is still yet to come. I really think that this story is going to be a challenge because every character is so well-defined, so it's hard to come up with the perfect dialog to get every character right. And I will be writing more Middleman stories after this one! I've already got a few ideas!**

**Okay, on to the chapter. And thanks for reading the MAJOR IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE and if you haven't read it yet, then go read it! **

* * *

"OW!" Wendy grabbed her arm, hissing in pain. She looked up into the dissatisfied face of Sensei Ping.

"You are not focusing, Young One!" He roared, kicking a leg out again, this time smacking into Wendy's face. Her neck snapped back and she landed onto the hard mat below.

"What do you think I'm doing?! I'm trying!" She tried to scramble up again without hurting her arm anymore, but just fell down in pain again. The Sensei kept lashing out, kicking and punching, so that she had to toss and turn on the floor to avoid his blows.

"Concentrate Young One! You need to keep a cool and steady head instead of being overwhelmed! Like the hippo and the lion!"

"What does a hippo and a lion have to do with anything?!" She had had it by now. After blacking out Friday night, she had barely been able to get any sleep. Every time she tried, she back on the floor, bound, gagged and being washed away in a flood of pain. Thinking that she was sick, Lacey had been so desperate to get her to stay home today that she had actually barricaded herself and most of the apartment against the door, forcing Wendy to climb out the fire escape.

She was only lucky that the Middleman didn't have any big end of the world crisis to have her deal with over the past couple of days. But she had come to work to avoid thinking about her dreams, forgetting that today was a secession with Sensei Ping. Normally she enjoyed the adrenaline rush, the sensation of barely missing death, but today it just added to the frustration and confusion about her dreams. She had never had ones like those before. Every detail was crystal and perfect, her dream apartment looked exactly the same as the real one… It was just too much to deal with.

Finally, Sensei Ping stopped and looked down at her. She stared back up at him, panting heavily. Her hair had come out of its ponytail and was everywhere, she had her arm in a death clutch and every bit of her was covered with sweat and bruises. Her body was trembling like mad.

"Out." Sensei Ping's voice was barely a whisper, but it was more dangerous than anything else in the world right now. She finally got to her feet and limped out of the room.

"How'd it go?" The Middleman was upon her while she still had one foot in the door. Ida flanked him, looking Wendy up and down. She noticed the danger signs before the Middleman did and casually moved out of Wendy's way.

"Why not ask your sensei? You're his favorite apprentice again." She pushed past him, ignoring the confused and slightly hurt look on his face as she limped down the hallway.

"Who drugged her beer?" Ida turned to the Middleman, who was still staring after Wendy. Just as the Middleman was about to respond, Sensei Ping came out of the training room, looked around to make sure only the Middleman and Ida were there, and then beckoned to the Middleman.

"Apprentice, come."

* * *

"Apprentice, Sensei Ping is worried about the young one." The Sensei was pacing, unable to stay still. "Sensei Ping admits, he had doubts when she first came into Sensei Ping's sight, but after showing her phenomenal skills in rescue and practice, I cast them aside."

Outside of the room, Wendy was slowly creeping up to the door, her ears strained. She sat down and leaned her head against the door, trying to hear the words of the two men.

"What are doing?" Wendy looked up to find Ida's head over hers and jumped. Motioning to Ida, Wendy placed her hand across her throat, frantically drawing it across.

"Does the Middleman know you're listening in on his personal conversations? Sensei Ping's going to kill you if he sees you, you know." She said delightedly. But she stopped as she heard voices coming out of the door.

"She was distracted, harried, unfocused!" Both women leaned in even closer to the door, although they didn't need to strain to hear Sensei Ping's loud voice.

"Sensei, it was one lesson." Wendy recognized the Middleman's calm voice, and she felt relief seep through her when she recognized that he was defending her.

"It was a disgrace!" The sensei's voice rang out, his harsh tones horribly the opposite with the warm ones of the Middleman. "One practice can ruin everything! No Middleman can survive with the skills she showed today! And any Middleman distracted enough to let themselves perform that badly in my judgment should become not be allowed to become a true Middleman. Sensei Ping seriously doubts whether or not she should be allowed to continue!"

Wendy felt ice seep through her blood, and her body began to tremble as she heard the sensei's next words. "If she has not improved by her next lesson, she shall, by Sensei Ping's hand, not be allowed to continue her training as a Middleman!" Suddenly Wendy wasn't standing next to Ida, but flying, flying as fast and far away from the Jolly Wehawkin's Temp Agency as she could.

Not be allowed to continue as a Middleman? What if the dreams continued? They hadn't stopped for three nights, so why stop now?

* * *

"Sensei Ping, see reason." The Middleman started towards him, but the Sensei fixed him with a deathly glare and he stopped in his tracks.

"Sensei Ping knows what the young one means to you. Sensei Ping has seen your bond, the way you work. You are too kind and form deep connections with the people closest to you. I haven't forgotten…" The Middleman's head turned down as the sensei failed to continue. He knew what was being implied. The sensei saw that he understood and continued. "But nevertheless, Sensei Ping helps bring a Middleman, a valuable, wise warrior into this world, and can just as easily take them out. Do not force Sensei Ping's hand."

He walked out of the room, forcing the Middleman to picture a world without Wendy. Strangely, the only thing he could think of was how she would have remarked that the sensei's threats were so cliché.

* * *

Wendy didn't know where she was running to, but she knew where she was running from. Sensei Ping and his stupid irrational rules, Ida and her numbskull comments, Lacey and her worries…

And suddenly she stopped, falling to the ground, her entire body trembling like mad. She was blinded by pain. It was all over, she couldn't escape no matter what she did. She twisted and turned on the ground. Her body felt like a thousand little needles were being poked at it, and parts of her body were being stabbed with thick knives. Her mouth… Her hands… Her body shaking so hard she couldn't even stand up…She curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth to try and ease the pain, when suddenly, it was over…

She stood up and began walking, trying to marvel on the mysterious pain. It had gone away as soon as it had come. She shook her head, her hair waving in the brief wind. She padded down the alley, noticing that something was…not quite wrong, but off. Something was different. She glanced around. It felt like the whole world had been put in some high-def TV. The smells, sounds, sights, everything was brighter and closer. She stopped, sitting down, lowering her head to her hands. She had such a headache. She opened her eyes and saw her…

Paws. There were dog paws were her hands should be. She jumped up, looking for the dog below her, that she had been sitting on. She couldn't find it, but as she turned, she caught a flash of a brown tail. She tried to call out for the dog, but it was drowned in a yelp. The dog must be close. She trailed even farther down the alley, looking everywhere until she came upon a broken mirror, chipped and hanging out of a trash can. She gave a scream, which came out as a long howl.

Where she should have been standing, a large, brown wolf was. She turned to her side. So did the wolf. She raised her hand. The wolf raised its paw. She put down her hand, and felt the vibrations as the wolf's claws came down apon the pavement. That finally proved it.

Wendy's howls of shock rocketed through the city, reaching the ears of a man who was currently perched on a rooftop, his ice blue eyes looking down at the Jolly Fats Wehawkin Temp Agency.


	4. Chapter 4: Aftershock

In all honesty, she really should have been expecting this

**Yes, I know, I am very, very, very late. But I had a big case of writer's block and, on the bright side, along with this chapter, another is written and finished with me working on a sixth! Woo! **

**I don't own the Middleman.**

**Now reviews…**

**diavoloduchessa – ****I'm glad you like the story, and another chapter will (hopefully, since I finished it) be up here soon.**

**shego219 - ****I'm glad that you enjoy my stories, and know my pen name! And yes, let howls rip through the city, that will teach ABC Family! LOL!**

**Nicole - ****I'm sure you're plenty creative, but thank you for the flattery. I'm happy to respond to the people that take the time to review, so thanks for reviewing! And yes, at the end of the Cursed Tuba Contingency, I thought she might have been a little jealous. **

**WildCroconaw – ****All your questions will be answered soon! In dramatic fashion! With lots of exclamation points! **

**Trecebo – ****Yes, it is a bit different in the MM category, but I like to write in a serious tone, instead of a funny tone all the time, so thank you for sticking with it. I hope you like this story. I agree, MM is very cool.**

**milady dragon – ****I'll post again soon and thank you for reviewing.**

**Musicnotes093 – ****I hope there's another season of MM too! But on a brighter side, MM/WW are such a fun pairing to write for! Read on for more of this pairing!**

In all honesty, she really should have been expecting this. It was in her line of work. Put your life on the line, deal with mystical, immortal beings hitting on you, transform into a huge dog…

Well, wolf, actually.

Her first instinct was to go right back to the Middleman and beg him to help her. She was halfway back to Jolly Fats when Sensei Ping's words entered her mind. "No Middleman can survive with the skills she showed today! Sensei Ping seriously doubts whether or not she should be allowed to continue!" Would Sensei Ping see her as a failure if she showed up, her mind trapped in a wolf's body? She couldn't risk it. Her job meant too much for her to throw it all away because she turned into Balto all of a sudden

Instead, she began to trot down the alley. She was almost out when she heard car horns honking in the distance, and the chatter of far away people. She stopped and turned around, making her way back into the alley, hiding in its depths as far as possible. Getting caught strutting around as a wolf in public would probably be just as bad.

Instead, she plopped down behind the broken mirror where she had first saw her reflection, shielding herself from human sight.

Human sight. Look at her, she was already talking like a werewolf.

Was that what she was? Or was she simply the product of some weird potion, mutation, etc. etc. gone amiss?

Slowly, she crawled out and looked at herself in the mirror once more. It was, to say the least, extremely creepy.

The very top of her body was a dark, thick brown fur, exactly the color of her human hair. Just a bit below that however, was another color fur that covered the rest of her body. It was soft, olive color that perfectly matched the color of her skin. The most startling thing, however, was her eyes. They had not changed at all, no wolf like tendiences had been added to them, no curve or slant of the normal eyes of a wolf. Instead, they were big and round, like they had always been. They too also retained their rich brown color. Seeing her human eyes brought a nub of comfort to her, and rubbed at her until she was able to calm down slightly. She took a deep breath, taking in her job training and the mediation training that stupid Sensei Ping had taught her.

She was calm, she was in control.

Although if she discovered that she had fleas she was going to lose it again.

The girl had finally made her first transformation.

She was scared. She was out right terrified. That was for sure. And by the sounds of her screams at night, she hadn't entirely forgotten him. That was good.

For a minute, her screams came back to him, and he had to fight to control himself from jumping down, introducing him, and then beating the life out of her.

Easy. Easy. She would get what she rightfully deserved in time. But cutting her down, right when she was so scared, right when she was so weak, wouldn't be what he needed. He needed her to be strong, resilient, ready to face death in the eyes, and not blink. When she was restored to the brilliant, breath-taking woman that she had been when she had entered her apartment three days ago, then she would be worthy of hunting and cutting down.

And why do it now, with no witnesses? He wanted the Middleman to be there, to hold his pathetic assistant in his arms, listening to her last words, breaths, heartbeats… He wanted to see the rage in the Middleman's eyes, to hear him desperately try to call back his assistant from death, only to be met with cold skin and unseeing eyes.

For now, he would simply have to be content with watching the panic, the deception, the pain play out, until the day where it would prove to be too much…And then his time would come.

Patience was, after all, a virtue.


	5. Chapter 5: Temptation

Disclaimer: I don't own the Middleman or Twilight (a reference is made, so no, it's not a crossover).

* * *

autumngold - Yeah, Wendy is pretty good at handling freaky stuff, like turning into a werewolf. The reason she doesn't go to the Middleman is that she's independent, and she handles things her own way. Going to the Middleman without handling it herself first would make her feel weak.

WildCroconaw- Here's another shoutout! But you're about to find out what will happen in the next few chapters when the Middleman finds out Wendy's secret. (Spoiler: It isn't pleasant.)

Well, on to the story!

* * *

Freedom.

That's the only way to express the blood rushing through her veins, the adrenaline overflowing, her limbs burning with happy release. All this time she had been sore and sick with dreams, all this time, she was simply waiting to release this unknown person inside.

She's been calling in sick for her job, painting and napping occasionally at day, then becoming free at night. She doesn't know why she was so afraid when she first transformed. There could be nothing better than the speed, the strength, the senses… Even the daunting task of turning back into a human is laughable. Everything is easy once you put your mind to it.

She runs across the slick pavement of a rooftop; she can smell the rain that fell earlier today. At the last second, she jumps off, and under the eyes of the full moon, she transforms back into her human form. She doesn't skip a beat as she continues to breeze across the rooftops. She laughs as she lets her worries fly out behind her, she's going too fast for them to stay with her.

Finally, she stops and turns around, looking at the mile of rooftops that she ran right over in less than a minute.

She's definitely ready to go back to work tomorrow.

*

She strides in and changes into her workout clothes for Sensei Ping. Ida looks up in shock as she walks past her, but is barely able to get out a sleezy comment before Wendy darts into the training room.

"Young One." She feels a confident smile grow on her face as Sensei Ping turns from the wall, effectively acting the part as the mysterious tutor. Without so much as a warning, he leaps toward her. But she's prepared this time.

As Sensei flies toward her, she bends down, sending him over her head. He lands on the ground and raises an eyebrow. He knows this is going to be different from the last training session. As she's thinking, he tries to strike again.

She flips past him and lands behind him, her head snapping up at an alarming rate. Before Sensei Ping can even register the change, she runs forward and kicks him. She actually manages to get a kick in on him.

And then it's all he can do to stay out her way.

Because she's _free _again, high and above the clouds, letting out all that access energy and flying and…

"ENOUGH!" She stops, but this time it's Sensei Ping on the ground and her standing, triumphant.

"What'sa matter?" She's dodging back and forth, so high on this new energy kick. "Too much for you?"

"Enough." Sensei Ping stands up and bows to her, so she has to bow back. She really beat him. But just as she coming up from the bow, Sensei Ping's hand comes out of nowhere and smacks her. "You do not taunt someone when they have announced their defeat!"

"OW!" Her voice, high and surprised, shouts out naturally. But as does, the wolf in her comes out. A long, harsh, growl that mixes in naturally with her scream.

Oh [bleep].

But Sensei Ping doesn't flinch or even move a muscle. His expression doesn't change. Maybe he didn't hear her, her mind hopes desperately.

"Leave me." She runs out, trying to concentrate on not going too fast to be suspicious, and wondering how come no matter what position she's in, she _always _has to be the one to leave upset?

*

The towel is cool and soft, and she presses her face into it for a long time, trying to get her thoughts in order.

"Dubbie?" She hears her boss' voice behind her, but she doesn't turn. "I just came into ask, how did the practice go?"

When she doesn't respond, he automatically assumes the worst and begins to shove his foot in his mouth in record time. "Well, it doesn't matter. We'll practice a bit and then you'll be able to have another-"

"The practice went fine, Boss." She mumbles, taking her head out. "No need to assume anyt-" She stops as she raises her head up.

All week, she had been focusing on unlocking her powers, training them. She would get faster, stronger, tougher, and more doors would begin to open. She could run a mile in under a minute, she could see details of flies' wings, she could go from lifting her smart car to lifting a jeep. And now another power had become unlocked. One that she actually didn't want.

Because the most alluring smell hit her nose. It was a mixture of smells, actually, all combined together to form the most sweetest taste she had never dreamed of, because she didn't know one so tantalizing existed. It was like receiving a glass of hot chocolate on a bitter day: thick and heavy. The scent tenderly nursed her nose, wafting numerous flavors. Cider, warm, yet slightly sharp and very sweet, nipped at the corners of her scent, followed up by the scent of soothing, warm vanilla sugar. It was contrasted by sweet peppermint and rich, cool cucumber. These scents made her mouth water and her eyes widen. She didn't know it was possible to be this hungry for a scent. But now she did.

And she wanted it, so, so very badly.

Wolves needed meat. Meat that moved, breathed, thought. Living meat.

What _was_ she?

A monster. A monster that wanted to rip the one person that she felt understood her completely, that had saved her life a thousand times, that had never hesitated to put her before himself. She wanted to extract her claws, pull out her fangs, wanted to feel the blood rushing through her while her prey fled, while she hunted, while she pounced.

No. No no no no no NO! She backed away, into a corner of the locker room. Her boss followed her, anxious. "Dubbie, what's wrong?"

"Don't feel good, have to go." Her body trembled as she tried to run.

"Dubbie, please talk to me." The Middleman grabbed her by her arm. "You don't look sick."

That was enough. Inside her closed mouth, she began to feel her fangs come out, she could feel the sharp points of her fangs beginning to poke out. She wasn't sure if the pain was helping her to contain the monster, or release it.

"Get-away-from-me." She managed to get out, holding back every element in her body from leaping at him. He was close now. So close.

"Dubbie?" He looked down at her, his eyes wide with concern and she couldn't resist anymore. She tore out of his grip, lunging. But just as her teeth were about to graze his neck, she faltered. Some hidden bit of Wendy that she had lost to the wolf called out to her, begging her not to do this.

Instead, she put a hand on his chest and pushed hard. The Middleman flew back several feet, landing in a heap by the locker room. She didn't even have time to whisper a sorry before running out, past Sensei Ping, past Ida, ignoring them both, wanting only freedom.

*

Several hours later, she simply sat on a roof, overlooking the night sky. She didn't want to think, she was too tired. She had spent hours running all over the city, exhausting herself. Even if the Middleman was looking for her, which she sorely doubted, she would be too tired to hunt him.

"So, you're a monster. It's no big deal. Monsters can be cool. Look at Edward Cullen. Look at Jacob Black. You just need some practice at this whole meat craving thing. Yeah, that's it. Just separate yourself from everyone you love and then take a few decades to practice that. Hey, if you're lucky, you can make it back by the time Lacey's 50." She bitterly jokes aloud to herself.

"It's not going to get better." She turns, sees a man standing there. If she was interested in the tall, red head type, she'd think he was almost cute. "The hunger, I mean."

"How do you know about that?" Her voice sounds horse and exhausted.

He grins, and she notices that his eyes hold an almost animal-like quality. As his lips pull up, she can see white, sharp fangs.

"Let's just say that I've been down that road before. Name's Rick, former Middleman at your service."


End file.
